1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to bags having a strap-like grip or handle for convenience in carrying. More particularly, it relates to such bags that are reusable and may be closed by means of the handle. These bags may be inexpensively manufactured from heat-sealable materials, and, when used for the merchandising of goods, provide convenience for the consumer and an added incentive to purchase the goods contained therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Department stores and the like have long recognized that consumers appreciate the convenience of market bags having a handle. For years, bags constructed of paper with simple handles attached have been dispensed free or sold at a nominal price to aid the burdened shopper. More recently, it has become a relatively common practice for manufacturers to market their goods self-contained in such bags or similar ones made of plastic materials. Particularly when these bags are reusable, they provide not only convenience for the consumer in toting the goods but an added incentive to purchase by virtue of the many uses to which the bag can subsequently be put around the home. This is especially true when the bag is constructed so that it can be reclosed after its initial contents have been removed.
Bags reclosable by means of drawstrings have been available for some years. Examples of these are described in Schoen U.S. Pat. No. 3,119,549 issued Jan. 28, 1964, Ashton U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,584 issued Jan. 11, 1966, Mueller U.S. Pat. No. 3,226,009 issued Dec. 28, 1965, Kugler U.S. Pat. No. 3,093,295 issued June 11, 1963, and others. However, the manufacture of such bags is relatively expensive due to the complexity of the structure and the machinery required to produce it. It is apparent, therefore, that the added expense relating to the use of such bags may necessitate a price increase for the goods that, except for luxury items where the cost of the bag represents a very small fraction of the total purchase price, in large part overcomes the incentive for the purchaser resulting from the convenience of the bag.
Other more complicated bag structures have been proposed such as those disclosed in Steen U.S. Pat. No. 2,854,185 issued Sept. 30, 1958, Honsel U.S. Pat. No. 3,610,517 issued Oct. 5, 1971, Haugh et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,370,630 issued Feb. 27, 1968, and Membrino U.S. Pat. No. 3,240,420 issued Mar. 15, 1966, but such bags have not provided the handy reclosability obtainable by means of the more expensive drawstring type.